One of my favorite things to cook in the Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker) is root vegetables that would otherwise take much longer. Potatoes most certainly fall into this category, especially since you can make perfectly creamy mashed potatoes entirely in the Instant Pot, no draining required.

Most Instant Pot mashed potato recipes have you cook your potatoes in a steamer basket over a couple of cups of water, then strain them and mix in some warmed milk and butter. Instead of going through all of those steps, I decided to cook them directly in a cup of half-and-half, along with a few tablespoons of lightly browned butter and a whole bunch of sautéed garlic. (I was a bit worried about scalding, but there was only one little spot of barely burnt dairy, which had no effect on the flavor of the taters.) Once they were cooked, I mashed everything together with a wooden spoon for creamy, luscious mashed potatoes and only a single pot to wash. To make them, you will need:

4 tablespoons of butter

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds of starchy potatoes, such as Russets, Yukon Golds, or a mix of both

1 cup half-and-half

Salt and pepper

Press the “sauté” button on your Instant Pot and melt the butter, letting it cook until it’s a light golden brown. Add the garlic, and cook until it’s golden and fragrant. While the garlic is sizzling away, wash, peel (if you want to), and cut the potatoes into rough one-inch pieces. Turn the Instant Pot off, let it cool for a bit, and add the half-and-half. Add the potato pieces, give everything a stir, and season generously with salt and pepper. If you want to add any fresh herbs, go ahead and chuck those in there too. Close the Instant Pot, make sure the release valve is set to “sealing,” and press the “manual” or “pressure cook” button (depending on your model), using the “+” and “-” buttons to set the time to nine minutes.

Don’t freak out!Photo: Claire Lower

Once the cooking time has elapsed, turn the pot off and release the pressure. Open the pot, and remain calm—the contents will look a little unpleasant at first. Just take a deep breath and mash everything up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Take a taste, season with more salt and pepper if needed, and devour.